Steering-gear for vehicles



No Model.) 2 Sheets-.Sheet l. B. F. FLESHMAN. STEERING @EEE EOE VEHICLES.

No. 420,873. Patented Feb. 4, 1890.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

B. P. PLBSHMAN. STEERING GEAR FUR VEHICLES.

No. 420,873.l Patented Feb. 4, 1890. l

BENJAMIN F. IFLESI'IMAN, OF ALVON, IVEST VIRGINIA.

STEERING-GEAR FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 420,87, dated February 4, 1890.

Application filed November 13, 1889. Serial No. 330,223. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. FLEsH- MAN, of Alvon, in thecounty of Greenbrier and State of lVest Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Guiding Apparatus for Vehicles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appcrtains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in steering or guiding apparatus for road-engines, railroad-cars, &c.;-and the object and nature of the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows in side elevation a road or traction engine provided With the steering apparatus. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan of a railroad-car provided with the present invention. Fig. 3 is a side view of a car provided with a guiding-lever. Fig. a is a section on line c of, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail view.

In the drawings, the .reference-letter a indicates the body of a car or road-engine mounted upon' the wheels b, and the frames, bolsters, or axles carrying these wheels are pivotally secured to the body of the vehicle, so as to swing in a horizontal plane. The front and rear bolsters or tracks are connected by the reach c, which reach is divided into two sections rigidly secured to the front and rear frames carrying the wheels. The inner ends of these two sections overlap and are provided with registering longitudinal slots in their overlapping ends, th rough which a securing or pivot bolt a loosely extends. A metallic plate e is secured on the upper side of the end of the front reach-section and is provided With a longitudinal slot through which the pivot-bolt passes. The front end of this plate is rounded and projects laterally over the sides of the reach-sections and also over a transverse groove or slot f in the upper face of said reach-section. A closed transverse guide-yoke g is formed on the rear end 0f said plate with its end curving rearwardly a suitable distance.

A corresponding face or wear plate 7L is secured on the under side of the end of the rear reach-section and is provided with a slot through which the pivotbolt passes, and with a pin t' extending through and confined in the guide-yoke; and at its front end this plate h is provided with a strong downwardly-extending stud carrying a roller j, bearing against the front projecting edge of the plate c. A lever 7c is pivoted to one of the reach-sections, to swing the same laterally, and extends up through the bottom of the vehicle so as to be capable of operation by a person within the same. If desirable, instead of employing a lever the vehicle can be guided in opposite directions by connecting a wheel m, by means of connections n, with a reach-section, so as to swing the same in opposite directions when the wheel is rotated oppositely. The operating lever or wheel is provided with means to hold them in the desired adjustment.

'Ihe operation of this guiding apparatus is obvious. Vhen one of the reach-sections 1 s swung' to guide the vehicle in a certain d1- rection, the front and rear wheels are swung to the same angle or to travel in the same arc. When turning a curve, the body retains its position without tilting or straining by reason of the pivoted frames carrying the wheels, and t-he reach-sections swing on the pivot-bolt and separate longitudinally by reason of the slots in their ends. The strain between the sections is on the roller j, which bears and travels on the edge of the plate e, and the swing of the section is limited by the guide-yoke. By means of the lever or windlass the front and rear wheels are turned simultaneously and in the same degree; hence there is no side or lateral thrust on the wheels and no danger of the vehicle overturning. The vehicle can be turned with great ease. This invention is of great value on railroadcars, preventing strain on the cars or on the rails.

l. The combination, with the front and rear wheels of a car or traction-engine carried by laterally-swinging frames or axles, of a reach connecting and rigidly secured to said frames or axles, said reach being divided into two overlappin g sections having longitudinal slots at their overlapping ends, a pivot-bolt passing through said slots and sections, a plate on one of said ends at one end rounded and having projecting edges and at the other end having a curved guide-yoke, the other Section having a roller bearing on said edge and a projection confined in sa-id yoke, and operating-connections, such as set forth, directly secured to one of said sections to swing the same laterally7 for the purpose set forth, and extending to Within convenient reach of a person on the car or engine, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the front and rear Wheels of a vehicle carried by laterallyswinging frames, of a reach connecting said frames, divided into two overlapping sections rigidily secured, respectively, to the front and rear Wheel frames, a pivot-bolt extending through longitudinal slots in said overlapping ends, a plate secured to 011e of said ends having a rounded laterally-projeeting end, a curved guide-yoke at the other .end of the plate, a projection on the other section end.

confined in said yoke, and a roller carried by said last-mentioned end and bearing on the rounded end of said plate, substantially as described.

In. testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN F. FLESIIMAN.

Witnesses:

O. E. DUFFY, C. M. WERLE. 

